Americas vision for a digital future

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Unit 7

• Americas vision for a digital future

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• I. Lead In
• II. Read In 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
• III. Practical Reading
• IV. Practical Writing
• V. Listening
• VI. Testing

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• Federal research on information technology is
  seriously inadequate, according to a group of
  experts set up to advise the US President. They
  urge the government to increase spending on IT
  research by 1.4 billion a year with the focus
  on long-term, high-risk projects.

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Questions

• What is the serious problem facing the federal
  government according to some experts?
• Federal research on information technology is far
  from enough.
• What is the solution to such a problem?
• An increase in spending on IT research by 1.4
  billion a year with the focus on long-term,
  high-risk projects would be the solution
  according to a group of experts.

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• urge drive or force forward persuade with force
  
• Examples
•   He urged me to enter for the competition.
•   He urged that the library be kept open during
  the vacation.

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• focus used as a noun a centre of attention,
  activity, or interest
• Example
• She always wants to be the focus of attention.
• focus used as a verb concentrate
• Examples
•   It was so noisy outside. I couldn't focus my
  attention on my term paper.

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• The country that gave the world Win-Dows and the
  Internet is in danger of losing its lead in
  information technology while the importance of IT
  to the US economy has risen sharply over the past
  decade fully a third of its economic growth
  since 1992 has been in this area federal
  funding for IT research has remained flat or
  declined in real terms.

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• Those programmers that are being funded tend to
  be directed to short-term objectives, reflecting
  priorities within Indus-try itself. As a result,
  few companies are now supporting the kind of
  long-term research on which US leadership has
  been founded.

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Questions

• Why is IT of such great importance to the US
  economy?
• Since 1992 a third of US economic growth has been
  dependent on IT.
• Why is it that the U.S. is now in danger of
  losing its lead?
• The reason is that the federal funding for IT has
  remained unchanged or declining in real terms.

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• decline continue to become smaller, weaker,
  lower
• Examples
•   The production of coal declined slightly in
  the past three years.
•   With the economic recovery unemployment is
  expected to decline to 3.2 percent.

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• in real terms in actual fact
• Examples
•   The recent increase in inflation means that
  our income has been reduced in real terms.
•   Our purchasing power has increased by 8 in
  real terms.

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• direct turn or aim in the stated direction
• Example
•   Please direct your complaints to the manager.
•   He directed his energies to improving
  efficiency.

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• objective used as a noun aim goal
• Examples
•   She has not found a job yet, as her job
  objective is too high.
•   The present policy is consistent with the
  company's long-standing objective.
• objective used as an adjective real fair
• Example
• The narrator tried to be as objective as possible
  in describing the tragic accident.

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• priority right to have or do something before
  others
• Examples
•   The badly injured have priority for medical
  attention over those only slightly hurt.
•   They insist that the right to live should take
  priority over all other consideration.

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• Such concerns are hardly confined to the US
  many a report has expressed sorrow over
  shortermism in Europe too, but the President's
  Information Technology Advisory Commit-tee has
  come up with some bold suggestions for change.

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Questions

• Do other countries have the same concerns of
  losing the lead in IT as the US ?
• Yes. European countries are faced with the same
  problem.  

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• confine to keep within limits restrict
• Examples
•   The chairman reminded the speaker to confine
  himself to the subject.
•   Please confine your remarks to the matter
  under discussion.

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• many a many, quite a few
• Examples
•   I've been there many a time.
•   Many a guest has been invited to the opening
  ceremony.

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• bold brave, courageous and adventurous
• Example
• The company needs a strong leader who is bold
  enough to make some tough decisions.

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• Their core proposal is for a strategic initiative
  in IT research which would, over a five-year
  period, see federal support increase by 1.37
  billion a year. Emphasis would be on visionary
  and high-risk projects that industry is
  unwilling to support by itself. The goal should
  be to recapture in the universities and research
  labs much of the excitement that existed at
  top-rated departments in the past. says the
  panel. They recommend four areas for development.

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Questions

• What is the core of the proposal?
• It is a strategic initiative in IT research,
  which demands the federal government increases
  funding by 1.37 billion a year in the following
  five years.
• Why is the emphasis of the proposal?
• The Emphasis would be on those visionary and
  high-risk projects that industry is unwilling to
  support by itself.

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• core the most important or central part of
  anything
• Examples
•   This is the core of the argument.
•   Let's get to the core of the matter.

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• initiative capacity to see what needs to be done
  and enterprise enough to do it
• Examples
•   He did not have the initiative to start his
  own business.
•   Mr. Smith. our sales manager, is a man of
  great initiative.
•   Emphasis would be on visionary and high-risk
  projects that industry is unwilling to support by
  itself.

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• emphasis special attention given to something to
  show that it is particularly important
• Examples
•   The school puts a lot of emphasis on
  discipline and respect for authority.
•   She took an exciting new English course for
  beginners, with the emphasis on fun as well as
  learning.

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• First, there is an urgent need to learn how to
  build large software systems. Because demand far
  outstrips supply, the US depends on software
  which is often fragile, unreliable, hard to use
  and difficult to test and maintain. Software
  research should be one of the Nation's highest
  RD priorities.

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Questions

• What is the first of the four bold suggestions?
• The first suggestion is to build large software
  systems.
• Why is it the first suggestion?
• Demand far outstrips the supply in the U.S.

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• urgent very important needing to be done
  without delay
• Example
• It is extremely urgent that the injured should
  get to hospital.

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• outstrip surpass or do better than
• Example
• The demand for food outstripped supply.

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•   maintain
•   keep in good repair or working order
• Example
• This car has always been properly maintained.
•   keep up continue
• Example
• To maintain a happy mood is very important in
  everyday life.
•   assert as true
• Example
• Throughout the trial he maintained that he was
  innocent of the charge.

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• Second, the Internet is growing at a pace far
  beyond the expectation of its designers and the
  strains are beginning to show. The government
  should promote research on the design and
  operation of large information networks. A
  National Digital Library is one of the proposals.
• Third, there is a need for bigger, faster
  computers whose design will require new
  techniques that cannot be achieved by scaling up
  current technology.

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Questions

• How is the Internet growing at present?
• The Internet is growing at such a speed that the
  designers had not expected when they designed it.
  
• What is the purpose of building A National
  Digital Library ?
• The purpose is to promote research on the design
  and operation of large information networks, or
  the Internet.

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• at a pace at a speed
• Examples
•   They worked at a hectic pace to meet the
  deadline.
•   The old man can only walk at a very slow pace.
  
•   The government should promote research on the
  design and operation of large information
  network.

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• promote
•   help to organize and start help the progress
  of
• Example
• All these activities will help to promote mutual
  understanding and friendship between the two
  countries.
•   give (someone) a high position or rank
• Examples
•   Because of his good work, John was promoted to
  a high class.
•   If a secretary is very skilled in using a
  computer, she is more likely to get promoted.

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• achieve gain or reach by effort
• Examples
•   He was a resolute man and nothing could stop
  him from achieving his goal.
•   We are fully confident that we'll overcome all
  difficulties and achieve our objectives.

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• scale up increase, esp. by a fixed rate
• Examples
•   The salaries of teachers should be scaled up
  to correspond to those people in comparable
  professions.
•   It is estimated that the annual output of
  steel will be scaled up by 10 percent.

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• current of the present time
• Examples
•   When you need current information and you need
  it now, the web is a wonderful resource.
•   The local government is taking effective
  measures to overcome current difficulties.

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• Finally, the US needs to deal with a host of
  socio-economic issues arising from the
  information revolution, centering on IT literacy,
  education and universal access.

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Questions

• What is implied in this paragraph?
• Information revolution will bring about large
  numbers of socio-economic problems which include
  a good command and use of IT on the global scale.
  
• What is to cause all these socio-economic issues?
  
• It is the information revolution that is to cause
  all these issues.

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• a host of a number of
• Example A. We are faced with a host of
  difficulties.
• B. Hosts of workers were idle during the great
  depression of the 1930s.

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• center on have as a main subject or area of
  concern fix on
• Example
• The dispute centred on the question of overtime
  pay.

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• universal concerning or shared by all members of
  a group general
• Examples
•   Love and death are of universal interest.
•   Music is the universal language and it can
  express different feelings.

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• access
•   means of entering entrance
• Example
• A steep, narrow road was the only access to the
  house.
•   means or right of using , reaching, or
  obtaining
• Examples
•   This system has been designed to give the user
  quick and easy access to the required
  information.
•   With Internet people have easy access to the
  most recent events in the world.
•  

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• The report goes on to recommend various
  management structures for the initiative,
  including Expeditions into the 21st Century' to
  explore technologies that would otherwise be
  beyond reach for many years. To keep its
  competitive edge the United States must
  rededicate itself to cutting edge high-tech
  research and development, the report concludes,
  or risk being overcome by nations with a clearer
  plan and a stronger view of the future.

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Questions

• What does the phrase to explore technologies
  that would otherwise be beyond reach for many
  years mean?
• Should people fail to research and develop
  technologies with cutting edge, they wouldn't be
  available to us for many years.
• Why must the US devote itself to cutting-edge
  high-tech research and development? ?
• To take the lead in this competitive world.
  Otherwise, it could be left behind by nations
  with a clearer plan and a stronger view of the
  future.

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• cutting-edge in accord with the most fashionable
  ideas or style
• Example A. The information highway is the
  cutting-edge of the electronic revolution.
• B. The company is at the cutting-edge of
  television miniaturization.